Linked Radio-Layer and Application-Layer Measurements in a Wireless Network

Abstract

Embodiments include methods for a user equipment (UE) to perform radio-layer and application-layer measurements in a radio access network (RAN). Such methods include receiving the following from a RAN node: a first configuration of radio-layer measurements to be performed by the UE, a second configuration of application-layer measurements to be performed by the UE, and an indication that the radio-layer measurements and the application-layer measurements should be linked. Such methods include performing application-layer measurements related to one or more applications based on the second configuration, and performing radio-layer measurements based on the first configuration. At least a portion of the radio-layer measurements are performed concurrently with at least a portion of the application-layer measurements. Other embodiments include complementary methods for RAN nodes and network nodes or functions outside the RAN. Other embodiments include corresponding apparatus configured to perform these methods.

1 .- 44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . A method for a user equipment (UE) to perform radio-layer and application-layer measurements in a radio access network (RAN), the method comprising:
 receiving the following from a RAN node:
 a first configuration of radio-layer measurements to be performed by the UE, 
 a second configuration of application-layer measurements to be performed by the UE, and 
 an indication that the radio-layer measurements and the application-layer measurements should be linked; 
   based on the second configuration, performing application-layer measurements related to one or more applications; and   performing radio-layer measurements based on the first configuration, wherein at least a portion of the radio-layer measurements are performed concurrently with at least a portion of the application-layer measurements,   wherein performing radio-layer measurements comprises receiving, by a UE radio layer from a UE application layer, a second start indication and initiating the radio-layer measurements in response to the second start indication.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein performing the application-layer measurements comprises:
 receiving, by a UE application layer from a UE radio layer, one of the following first control indications for the application-layer measurements:
 a first start indication, 
 a first stop indication, 
 a first suspend indication, or 
 a first resume indication; and 
   performing one of the following operations in response to the received first control indication:
 initiating the application-layer measurements in response to the first start indication; 
 stopping ongoing application-layer measurements in response to the first stop indication; 
 suspending ongoing application-layer measurements in response to the first suspend indication; or 
 resuming suspended application-layer measurements in response to the first resume indication. 
   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein performing radio-layer measurements further comprises:
 receiving, by a UE radio layer from a UE application layer, one of the following second control indications for the radio-layer measurements:
 a second stop indication, 
 a second suspend indication, or 
 a second resume indication; and 
   performing one of the following operations in response to the second control indication:
 stopping ongoing radio-layer measurements in response to the second stop indication; 
 suspend ongoing radio-layer measurements in response to the second suspend indication; or 
 resuming paused radio-layer measurements in response to the second resume indication. 
   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the indication that the radio-layer and application-layer measurements should be linked comprises one or more of the following:
 a radio-layer measurement identifier that is included in the second configuration,   an application-layer measurement identifier that is included in the first configuration,   a common sampling rate and duration included in the first and second configurations,   a common start time included in the first and second configurations,   a start time offset in one of the first and second configurations that is relative to a start time in the other of the first and second configurations,   a common end time included in the first and second configurations,   an end time offset in one of the first and second configurations that is relative to an end time in the other of the first and second configurations, and   an explicit indication that at least a portion of the radio-layer measurements should be performed concurrently with at least a portion of the application-layer measurements.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the first configuration includes one or more of the following:
 a pause criterion for the radio-layer measurements that is related to the application-layer measurements,   a first absolute time,   a time offset relative to a second time included in the second configuration,   an indication that radio-layer measurement reports should include associations between radio resources and particular applications, and   a request to inform the RAN node when the UE radio layer receives a first control indication from the UE application layer.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the second configuration includes one or more of the following:
 a pause criterion for the application-layer measurements that is related to the radio-layer measurements,   a second absolute time,   a time offset relative to a first absolute time included in the first configuration, and   an indication that application-layer measurement reports should include associations between radio resources and particular applications.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein:
 the radio-layer measurements are performed based on the first configuration while the UE is operating in a first cell;   the method further comprises connecting to a second cell and performing radio-layer measurements in the second cell based on a further first configuration; and   the application-layer measurements are performed in the first and second cells based on the second configuration.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising sending, to the RAN node, one or more of the following:
 one or more measurement timing parameters included in the second configuration,   a first measurement report related to the performed radio-layer measurements,   a second measurement report related to the performed application-layer measurements.   
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein:
 the radio-layer measurements are minimization of drive testing (MDT) or trace measurements, and   the application-layer measurements are quality-of-experience (QoE) measurements.   
     
     
         54 . A method for a radio access network (RAN) node to configure a user equipment (UE) to perform radio-layer and application-layer measurements, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a network node or function outside the RAN, a second configuration of application-layer measurements to be performed by the UE in relation to one or more applications;   sending the following to the UE:
 a first configuration of radio-layer measurements to be performed by the UE, 
 the second configuration, and 
 an indication that the radio-layer and application-layer measurements by the UE should be linked; and 
   performing radio-layer measurements that are linked with application-layer measurements performed by the UE based on the second configuration.   
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the indication that the radio-layer and application-layer measurements should be linked comprises one or more of the following:
 a radio-layer measurement identifier that is included in the second configuration,   an application-layer measurement identifier that is included in the first configuration,   a common sampling rate and duration included in the first and second configurations,   a common start time included in the first and second configurations,   a start time offset in one of the first and second configurations that is relative to a start time in the other of the first and second configurations,   a common end time included in the first and second configurations,   an end time offset in one of the first and second configurations that is relative to an end time in the other of the first and second configurations, and   an explicit indication that at least a portion of the radio-layer measurements should be performed concurrently with at least a portion of the application-layer measurements.   
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the first configuration includes one or more of the following:
 a pause criterion for the UE radio-layer measurements that is related to the UE application-layer measurements,   a first absolute time,   a time offset relative to a second absolute time included in the second configuration,   an indication that UE radio-layer measurement reports should include associations between radio resources and particular applications, and   a request to inform the RAN node when the UE radio layer receives a first control indication from the UE application layer.   
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the second configuration includes one or more of the following:
 a pause criterion for the UE application-layer measurements that is related to the UE radio-layer measurements,   a second absolute time,   a time offset relative to a first absolute time included in the first configuration, and   an indication that UE application-layer measurement reports should include associations between radio resources and particular applications.   
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 54 , further comprising receiving, from the UE, one or more of the following:
 one or more measurement timing parameters included in the second configuration,   a first measurement report related to UE radio-layer measurements, and   a second measurement report related to UE application-layer measurements.   
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein:
 the first configuration is for minimization of drive testing (MDT) or trace measurements, and   the second configuration is for quality-of-experience (QoE) measurements.   
     
     
         60 . A user equipment (UE) configured to perform radio-layer and application-layer measurements in a radio access network (RAN), the UE comprising:
 radio transceiver circuitry configured to communicate with at least one RAN node; and   processing circuitry operatively coupled to the radio transceiver circuitry, whereby the processing circuitry and the radio transceiver circuitry are configured to:
 receive the following from a RAN node:
 a first configuration of radio-layer measurements to be performed by the UE, 
 a second configuration of application-layer measurements to be performed by the UE, and 
 an indication that the radio-layer and application-layer measurements should be linked; 
 
 based on the second configuration, perform application-layer measurements related to one or more applications; and 
 perform radio-layer measurements based on the first configuration, wherein at least a portion of the radio-layer measurements are performed concurrently with at least a portion of the application-layer measurements, wherein perform radio-layer measurements comprises to receive, by a UE radio layer from a UE application layer, a second start indication and initiating the radio-layer measurements in response to the second start indication. 
   
     
     
         61 . The UE of  claim 60 , wherein the processing circuitry and the radio transceiver circuitry are configured to perform the application-layer measurements based on:
 receiving, by a UE application layer from a UE radio layer, one of the following first control indications for the application-layer measurements:
 a first start indication, 
 a first stop indication, 
 a first suspend indication, or 
 a first resume indication; and 
   performing one of the following operations in response to the received first control indication:
 initiating the application-layer measurements in response to the first start indication; 
 stopping ongoing application-layer measurements in response to the first stop indication; 
 suspending ongoing application-layer measurements in response to the first suspend indication; or 
 resuming suspended application-layer measurements in response to the first resume indication. 
   
     
     
         62 . The UE of  claim 60 , wherein the processing circuitry and the radio transceiver circuitry are configured to perform the application-layer measurements based on:
 receiving, by a UE radio layer from a UE application layer, one of the following second control indications for the radio-layer measurements:
 a second stop indication, 
 a second suspend indication, or 
 a second resume indication; and 
   performing one of the following operations in response to the second control indication:
 stopping ongoing radio-layer measurements in response to the second stop indication; 
 suspend ongoing radio-layer measurements in response to the second suspend indication; or 
 resuming paused radio-layer measurements in response to the second resume indication. 
   
     
     
         63 . A radio access network (RAN) node arranged to configure user equipment (UEs) to perform radio-layer and application-layer measurements, the RAN node comprising:
 radio network interface circuitry configured to communicate with UEs and with a network management system (NMS); and   processing circuitry operatively coupled to the radio network interface circuitry, whereby the processing circuitry and the radio network interface circuitry are configured to perform operations corresponding to the method of  claim 54 .   
     
     
         64 . The RAN node of  claim 63 , wherein the indication that the radio-layer and application-layer measurements should be linked comprises one or more of the following:
 a radio-layer measurement identifier that is included in the second configuration,   an application-layer measurement identifier that is included in the first configuration,   a common sampling rate and duration included in the first and second configurations,   a common start time included in the first and second configurations,   a start time offset in one of the first and second configurations that is relative to a start time in the other of the first and second configurations,   a common end time included in the first and second configurations,   an end time offset in one of the first and second configurations that is relative to an end time in the other of the first and second configurations, and   an explicit indication that at least a portion of the radio-layer measurements should be performed concurrently with at least a portion of the application-layer measurements.